Episode 106: Are any Democrats Out There?
Texas was once a one-party Democratic state, but there's not a single Democrat in statewide office today.
Can the party of LBJ and Ann Richards rise from the dead?
Panelists:
- Matthew Dowd, Bush/Cheney chief strategist
- Kelly Fero, Democratic strategist
- State Rep. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas)
Matthew
Dowd
Matthew Dowd is president of Dowd Strategic Consulting,
a public affairs firm based in Austin, Texas. Prior to this, Dowd served
as chief campaign strategist for Bush-Cheney 2004 where he oversaw all
media, message development, targeting and research.
Prior
to joining the Bush campaign in June of 1999, Dowd served as president
and founding partner of Public Strategies, Inc, an Austin-based international
public affairs firm. During this time, Dowd served as former Texas Lt.
Governor Bob Bullock's chief campaign consultant in his two successful
runs for Lt. Governor. In 1987 and1988, Dowd served both on the Senate
and campaign staff of former U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas).
Kelly Fero
A former award-winning journalist and author, Kelly Fero is the leading
Democratic strategist in Texas. He has worked with governors and other
top elected officials around the country, helped run a presidential
and gubernatorial campaigns in Mexico, and wrote a series of influential
studies on welfare reform, public and higher ed, criminal justice, and
Texas-Mexico border issues.
State Rep. Rafael
Anchía (D-Dallas)
State Rep. Rafael Anchía was elected in November 2004 to represent
District 103 in the Texas House of Representatives. District 103 is
located inside Dallas County. Rep. Anchía began his public service
at the local level
where he was twice elected to the Board of Trustees of the Dallas
Independent School District -- the nation's 11th largest school district.
During his tenure
on the Dallas School Board, he served as first vice
p resident and chaired the Policy and Governance Committee. Anchía
is an
attorney with the law firm of Patton Boggs LLC and specializes in public
and
corporate finance. Rep. Anchía was a 2001 American Marshall Memorial
Fellow, a 2003 Broad Fellow and a 2003 British-American Project Conference
Delegate.
He is a member of various professional, civic and charitable organizations, among them: the NALEO Education Fund Board, the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association, the Dallas Assembly, the SMU Clements Center on Southwest Studies and the Oak Cliff Lions Club. Rep. Anchía is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and he received his J.D. from Tulane University School of Law. He lives in North Oak Cliff with his wife, Marissa, and daughter, Sofia.
More about this topic:
- "Texas
Politics: Democrats in Decline"
By Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (University of Texas at Austin, 2004) - "The
Future of Party Politics in Texas"
By Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (University of Texas at Austin, 2004) - "The
Future of the Democratic Party"
by Howard Dean (Common Dreams News Center, Dec. 8, 2004)
